Strategist, entrepreneur and commentator Craig Coogan examines issues with his unique perspective. NOTE: The views expressed in this blog are of the author (Craig Coogan) alone. They do not represent any organization, client, or business that he may be associated with. You are welcome to comment below. Thank you for reading!

Thursday, March 5, 2015

Black & White & Blue Science

The Internet almost broke last week. The Net Neutrality
debate had nothing to do with it – somebody posted a picture of a dress asking what
color it was. A ferocious debate ensued with the “blue/black” faction on one
side and the “gold/white” on the other side. (Of course most of my feed just
commented on how ugly the dress was without much consideration for the color!) Wired Magazine ran a long article on the science of why nobody agrees on the color – including
interviews with specialists in optics as well as graphics experts on color. The
way the dress is photographed under various light and angles along with how one’s
optical system works are all part of how we see the same object differently. The fact that science proved
that the dress is blue/black didn’t quell the opposition. The effect on society
over whether a dress is a particular color is pretty insignificant – but it is
a perfect example of how science doesn’t seem to matter anymore.

Science makes my eyes glaze over. I was never a particularly
good student at it less from a capability point of view and more from an
interest and retention perspective. And there’s all these long and funny
sounding names of things that seem to be designed to make it more complicated
and complex that it needs to be. While I don’t have an aptitude for science
doesn’t mean that I dismiss it or don’t appreciate it. I’m in the
minority on this!

Life expectancy was estimated to be 31 years in the early 20th Century, and by 2010 the world average for longevity is 67.2 years. I’ve got about 30 years left according to a popular calculator. Social Security tells me I’ve got me hanging around until I’m 82.3. The reasons why people are living more than twice as long in
2010 as they did at the beginning of the 1900’s can be attributed to many
things. Key among them is vaccinations, advancement in medical treatment and knowledge about how the human body works.

The media and the country last month erupted in a furor after
there was an outbreak of measles in the U.S. that spread to 16 states with 141 cases (as of 3/2/15). The uproar was in large part because “The entire western hemisphere was
declared measles-free early in the 21st century. The United States and other
countries had reached this point by ensuring ready access to immunizations and
instituting mandatory immunization requirements for students in schools.” The anti-vaccination “movement” was blamed
and individuals vilified without any realization that opposition to
vaccinations is as old as the practice itself.

The 113th Congress in November 2014 amid a
spirited debate about the XL Pipeline and its impact on the environment also
passed a bill forbidding scientists from advising the EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) on their own research. A scientist
who may have spent years studying an issue and become expert in it would not be
able to advise, testify or assist the Agency on what she/he knows. That’s like saying that somebody from Wall Street shouldn’t be
able to advise the Treasury on financial matters. The bill would never become law, but still passed Congress 229-191.

I have some real concerns about the State telling people
what they can and cannot do with their body. My Libertarian tendencies and the historic and continual overreach of
the government (local, state, federal) provide excellent justifications for letting people decide what
vaccinations they will and will not take. However, as is repeated in many
places throughout the LP’s party platform: one’s individual right to autonomy stops
when their choices cause harm or infringe on the rights of others. Nothing
could be more exemplary of that than permitting somebody with a contagious
disease to interact with the public. Their right of not vaccinating (as
determined by their parent) stops when the result (disease) would cause grievous
harm to others. Do I want the government mandating it at birth? No. Places
where people interact could mandate it – schools (private & public),
athletic events, etc. It may be a hair-splitting difference as most schools are
government run – but theoretically somebody could home school their child and
choose not to vaccinate.

I oppose the government mandating vaccinations, and have
concerns about the EPA which is overly influenced by politics and seem to propose
solutions in search of problems. Those objections and resistances do not equate to me being anti-science. (Or being a cave man.) It means I
have a different way of approaching those issues. Banning experts and
dismissing the underlying science isn’t the way to go. Seems the world is going crazier - and not because so many people were so invested in a dress color. What used to be black
and white is now black and blue – just like that ugly frock.